CHBH Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Lab Lead:
Dr Tom Marshall
The Brain Stimulation lab houses all the equipment required for both transcranial magnetic (TMS) and electrical (TES) non-invasive brain-stimulation experiments.
Equipment in the lab:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Magstim Bistim - Used for intracortical inhibition as well as facilitation and brain connectivity studies
Magstim Rapid - Used for rTMS studies
- Biphasic
- Repetitive Protocols
- Theta Burst (Super Rapid2 and Plus1)
- <100Hz frequency stimulation
Brainsight
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Neuroconn DC-Stimulator MR
- MR compatible
- Direct-current stimulation
- Alternating-current stimulation
How can researchers access the equipment within this lab?
To gain access to the brain stimulation lab there are procedures for training, ethics and project proposals. For the procedures please see the CHBH Operating Procedures and Local Rules.
What research data is produced and what can we understand from this?
In general, brain stimulation studies probe the excitability of the brain. They can also be used to increase or decrease the excitability of a targeted brain area. Brain stimulation studies produce behavioural and physiological data. For example, increases in excitability may be demonstrated by increases in the amplitude of EMGs induced by TMS over the motor cortex. Alternatively, stimulation of a brain area may induce changes in behaviour, such as an increase or decrease in learning rate, or the ability to perceive a given stimulus.
How is this lab contributing to the CHBH values and principles?
Non-invasive brain stimulation allows us to probe the links between brain areas and behaviour. This allows us to make causal inferences about brain areas and their function. Brain stimulation can also be used in combination with neuroimaging studies, where imaging can take place following disruption of a brain region to generate a short-lived “virtual lesion”. Such studies further our understanding of the relationship between brain regions and behaviour.
For further information, please contact the CHBH Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Lab Lead - Dr Tom Marshall.
External researchers/collaborators
If you are an external researcher and would like to use CHBH facilities, please identify a suitable collaborator from the Principal Investigator lists located on our CHBH Research Theme pages, and contact them directly with your proposal. They will then review the scope of the proposal, costings, and modality availability, and advise on a potential collaboration.